The present invention concerns an apparatus, method and system for a wireless communication and local positioning system in an industrial or manufacturing environment, including an automated industrial and/or manufacturing environment. The present invention further concerns a communication and local positioning apparatus, method and system for use with industrial or manufacturing trolleys or other vehicles, including track-bound and nontrack-bound industrial trolley or other vehicle systems.
There are at least certain systems that are being used for controlling industrial vehicles, such as suspended electric trolleys or other vehicles. Such a system may include a transmission system that transmits control and report commands to the sliding contacts of an industrial trolley or vehicle. In particular, various sensors and code systems may be externally mounted on the tracks for position detection. The signals associated with the various sensors and code systems must be analyzed by a vehicle control system using relatively complex methods. Also, such a system may, however, be relatively expensive, and may include, for example, relatively high installation and startup costs.
Other systems may use ultrasonic sound to determine a vehicle location, but such systems may be limited because other information is not transmittable to or from the vehicle using the ultrasonic transmissions.
It is therefore believed that there is a need for an improved apparatus, method and system that may be used, for example, to simplify a track-based vehicle system that uses sliding contacts by reducing the number of sliding contacts. Thus, for example, whereas seven (7) sliding contacts may be necessary in certain systems, fewer sliding contacts, such as, for example, four (4) sliding contacts, may only be needed for such an improved apparatus, method and system since sliding contacts may only be needed for the power supply system, rather than for the positioning system. It is also believed that there is a need to improve existing track-based vehicle systems, in which, for example, track sections that have been powered and controlled separately may no longer be required, so that such track sections need not be replaced. It is further believed that there is a need for improving existing systems, in which, for example, the various associated sensors or code systems that are mounted externally on the tracks may no longer be required so that such sensors and code system need not be replaced. It is also believed that there is a need for an apparatus, method and system, in which such track sections, sensors and code systems need not be used, as may have been required by other systems. It is further believed that there is a need for an apparatus, method and system in which additional vehicle information may be transmitted to or from the trolleys or other vehicles.
An exemplary embodiment of the present invention is directed to a local positioning method for use with a vehicle system in an industrial environment, the method including the steps of: communicating a first transmitter identification associated with a first transmitter location, a second transmitter identification associated with a second transmitter location, and at least a third transmitter identification associated with at least a third transmitter location to a vehicle; receiving the first transmitter identification, the second transmitter identification and the at least the third transmitter identification at the vehicle; determining a first positioning parameter of the vehicle based on the first transmitter identification, a second positioning parameter of the vehicle based on the second transmitter identification, and at least a third positioning parameter of the vehicle based on the at least the third transmitter identification; determining a position of the vehicle based on the first positioning parameter, the second positioning parameter and the at least the third positioning parameter; and communicating at least the position from the vehicle to a controller arrangement that is adapted to control the vehicle system.
Another exemplary embodiment of the present invention is directed to a local positioning system for use with a vehicle system in an industrial environment, the system including: a controller arrangement that is adapted to control the vehicle system; a transmitter arrangement that is adapted to communicate a first transmitter identification associated with a first transmitter location; a second transmitter identification associated with a second transmitter location, and at least a third transmitter identification associated with at least a third transmitter location to a vehicle; a receiving arrangement associated with the vehicle and that is adapted to receive the first transmitter identification, the second transmitter identification and the at least the third transmitter identification; a processing arrangement associated with the vehicle and that is adapted to determine: a first positioning parameter of the vehicle based on the first transmitter identification; a second positioning parameter of the vehicle based on the second transmitter identification; at least a third positioning parameter of the vehicle based on the at least the third transmitter identification; and a position of the vehicle based on the first positioning parameter, the second positioning parameter and the at least the third positioning parameter; and a communicating arrangement associated with the vehicle and that is adapted to communicate at least the position of the vehicle to the controller arrangement.
Still another exemplary embodiment of the present invention is directed to a local positioning system for use with a vehicle system in an industrial environment, the system including: means for controlling a vehicle system; means for communicating a first transmitter identification associated with a first transmitter location, a second transmitter identification associated with a second transmitter location, and at least a third transmitter identification associated with at least a third transmitter location to a vehicle; means for receiving the first transmitter identification, the second transmitter identification and the at least the third transmitter identification, wherein the means for receiving is associated with the vehicle; means for determining a first positioning parameter of the vehicle based on the first transmitter identification, a second positioning parameter of the vehicle based on the second transmitter identification, and at least a third positioning parameter of the vehicle based on the at least the third transmitter identification; means for determining a position of the vehicle based on the first positioning parameter, the second positioning parameter and the at least the third positioning parameter; and means for communicating at least the position of the vehicle to the means for controlling.
Yet another exemplary embodiment of the present invention is directed to a local positioning method for use with a vehicle system in an industrial environment, the method including the steps of: communicating a first transmitter identification associated with a first transmitter location, a second transmitter identification associated with a second transmitter location, a third transmitter identification associated with a third transmitter location, and a fourth transmitter identification associated with a fourth transmitter location to a vehicle; receiving the first transmitter identification, the second transmitter identification, the third transmitter identification, and the fourth transmitter identification at the vehicle; determining a first positioning parameter of the vehicle based on the first transmitter identification, a second positioning parameter of the vehicle based on the second transmitter identification, a third positioning parameter of the vehicle based on the third transmitter identification, and a fourth positioning parameter of the vehicle based on the fourth transmitter identification; determining a position of the vehicle based on the first positioning parameter, the second positioning parameter, the third positioning parameter, and the fourth positioning parameter; and communicating at least the position from the vehicle to a controller arrangement that is adapted to control the vehicle system.
Still another exemplary embodiment of the present invention is directed to a vehicle communication and processor system for use in a local positioning system having a plurality of transceivers and a vehicle system, including a controller arrangement that is adapted to control the vehicle system, in an industrial environment, the system including: a receiving arrangement being associated with the vehicle and being adapted to receive a first transmitter identification associated with a first transmitter location, a second transmitter identification associated with a second transmitter location, and at least a third transmitter identification associated with at least a third transmitter location; a processing arrangement that is adapted to determine: a first positioning parameter of the vehicle based on the first transmitter identification; a second positioning parameter of the vehicle based on the second transmitter identification; at least a third positioning parameter of the vehicle based on the at least the third transmitter identification; and a position of the vehicle based on the first positioning parameter, the second positioning parameter and the at least the third positioning parameter; and a communicating arrangement being associated with the vehicle and being adapted to communicate at least the position of the vehicle to the controller arrangement.